Why sufficiency? An interdisciplinary perspective

Abstract

Sufficiency as a term and research field has gained increased attention in recent years. The evolving literature demonstrates various understandings of sufficiency: thought from the concept of consumption corridors, it is a way to mitigate climate change but it also is a more general approach to reach various dimensions of ecological and socio-economic sustainability and well-being for all. In relation to the potential that sufficiency seems to have for simultaneously alleviating various sustainability problems that societies are facing, it has been represented surprisingly rarely in the literature and political debate so far. Instead, efficiency and consistency strategies dominate the debate on how to deal with environmental challenges such as climate change. These strategies have received a lot of attention in the past, leading to a broad knowledge of their potentials and benefits. Sufficiency and its potentials, in contrast, are not widely known. In this respect, the literature lacks a review and synthesis of the various potentials and benefits of sufficiency. Reviewing literature from various disciplines, this paper gives insights into the main benefits of sufficiency as a political strategy and structures them comprehensibly. In summary sufficiency has important environmental benefits, contributing to climate mitigation, keeping within other planetary boundaries such as biodiversity loss and limiting resource consumption. Further, sufficiency can enable justice, health, quality of life and resilience. Relative to technical approaches, sufficiency moreover can be a fast and safe option, that also bears a potential for deeper systemic changes.